(SaaS) Designing Sylostem: A Smart Dashboard for Freelancers

Sylostem Building Smart Solutions For Smarter Freelancers......

Sylostem is an all-in-one client management dashboard designed for freelancers and agencies. It helps users manage client data, track projects, monitor payments, and automate communication from a sleek and intuitive dashboard. The goal was to reduce administrative overhead and let creatives focus more on delivering high-value work.

Freelancers and small agencies often juggle multiple tools email, spreadsheets, CRMs, and chat apps, to manage clients and projects. This results in:

Fragmented client communication

Missed deadlines or payment follow-ups

Time wasted on admin tasks

Poor client experience due to a lack of structure

There was a clear need for a centralized platform tailored to the freelance workflow.

Design a user-friendly dashboard tailored for freelancers/agencies

Simplify client onboarding, project tracking, invoicing, and messaging

Enable automation without steep learning curves

Support multi-client, multi-project workflows

Make it mobile-responsive for freelancers on the go

Freelancers (designers, developers, marketers, writers, etc.)

Small creative agencies with 2–10 team members

Consultants or independent professionals managing multiple clients

User Interviews: We interviewed 10 freelancers and 3 agency leads. Common feedback included:

“I use 4–5 tools just to track one project.”

“I forget to send invoices or follow up sometimes.”

“Clients send feedback via WhatsApp, Email, and Docs – it's chaotic.”

Competitor Analysis: Compared tools like Honeybook, Bonsai, Trello, and Notion. While powerful, most were either too complex or not designed with freelancers in mind.

1. Information Architecture & User Flow: Mapped out core journeys:

Create New Client → Add Project → Assign Tasks → Send Invoice

View Project Timeline → Message Client → Mark Project Complete

2. Wireframing: Low-fidelity wireframes in Figma helped validate layout and task flows quickly.

3. High-Fidelity Design: Created a clean, modern interface with a neutral dark/light toggle. Key design choices included:

Sticky side nav for quick access

Tabs within projects for Tasks, Files, Messages, and Invoices

Micro-interactions to make UI feel responsive and smart

4. Responsive Design: Ensured mobile-friendliness using a flexible 12-column grid and progressive disclosure on smaller screens.

Typography: Clash display & Montserrat for readability and clarity

Color Palette: Calm blues & off-whites for trust and focus

Iconography: Simple, intuitive icon set for quick navigation

Design System: Built a reusable component library for faster iteration

Ran 2 usability test sessions with freelancers. Key improvements made:

Added “Quick Add” buttons for clients/tasks from anywhere

Introduced project templates to reduce setup time

Improved invoice editing UX after feedback on field alignment

90% of testers said they’d switch from their current tool stack

Users loved the centralized messaging feature the most

Reduced project setup time by ~40% during testing

Clear potential to integrate payments via Stripe & email sync

Sylostem is more than a tool; it’s a workflow optimizer for freelancers. Designing for this audience meant balancing simplicity with flexibility. By focusing on real-world freelance pain points, Sylostem streamlines the chaotic backend of creative work into a calm, intuitive space.

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